Abel

ABEL, the second Son of Adam and Eve, was born in the second Year of the World, before Jesus Christ 3998. Some are of Opinion that he and Cain were Twins¹: Others believe that he was his younger Brother, being born in the second Year of the World: Others again maintain that he was born 15 Years after Cain, while others make an Interval of 30 Years between the Birth of these two Brothers. The Eastern People say that Anvina his Sister was born at the same Time with Abel: She is called Delbora, Decla, or Edocla, by different Writers². Cain and Abel being instructed by their Father Adam in their Duty to the Creator, offered each to him the First Fruits of their Labours; Cain, as an Husbandman, of his Corn; Abel, as a Shepherd, of the Milk or Fattlings of his Flock. God was pleased to shew that the Offerings of Abel were agreeable, and those of Cain contemptible to him. How God gave these Marks of Preference to Abel is not distinctly known, whether by Fire sent from Heaven³, which consumed his Offering, or by any other Means; but this we know, that Cain perceiving this Distinction, fell into Fits of deep Melancholy, and giving himself up to the Suggestions of his Envy, formed the Design of killing Abel.

Commentators agree, that the true Cause of Cain’s Aversion was God’s Acceptance of his Brother’s Sacrifices, and the Rejection of his own; but they are not so well agreed about the Pretence which he made use of to take away his Brother’s Life, whether it were on the Score of some Woman, whom Adam was inclined that he should marry⁴, or whether he sought an Opportunity of quarrelling⁵ with Abel, and to that End uttered Blasphemies before him. As to this Particular, the Interpreters may be consulted: So much however is certain, that Cain having invited Abel to go with him into the Field, there Genef. iv. 8, 9.murdered him.

The Scripture does not specify either the Manner or Instrument of this Murder, and Expositors are divided upon it; some arm Cain with the Jaw-bone of an Ass, others with a Scythe⁶; some again with a Bill⁷, others with a Knife or Sword⁸, a Stone⁹ or Pitch-fork. However this be, the Blood of this innocent Person crying towards Heaven, the Lord demanded of Cain where Abel was; to which he answer’d, Am I my Brother’s Keeper? We shall see in another Place how God punished Cain.

Josephus¹⁰ is of Opinion that Cain buried Abel to prevent the Discovery of his Murder; and at sixteen Miles from Damascus a Travellers are shewn a Tomb said to be Abel’s, which is an hundred and sixty Palms, or fourscore Cubits in Length. St. Jerom assures us, that there was a constant Tradition among the Hebrews of Abel’s being murder’d in the Plain of Damascus. But nothing is more uncertain than this.

Some of the Fathers were of Opinion that Abel continued always in the State of Celibacy¹¹. The Chronicon of Alexandria shews very clearly that he died before Marriage; but others maintain that he was married, tho’ perhaps he had no Children¹², since Moses has made no mention of his Posterity. St. Chrysostom is expresly for his Marriage¹³, excusing him, on the Score of pure Necessity, for having married his own Sister. They who explain what is said of Abel’s Blood crying unto God from the Ground, as meant of the Posterity of this righteous Person, are of the same Opinion.

Under the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius, certain Hereticks rose up in Africk, called Abelites, or Abelonites, from Abel, who condemned Marriages; not that they thought this State of Life to be in itself blameable, for they were themselves married; but they condemned the Use of Wedlock, and abstained from that Conversation with their Wives, which was allowable. They said they would not bring unhappy Creatures into the World to be polluted with original Sin. The Mixture of both Sexes they looked upon as an Act to be detested; and that their Sect might not perish, they adopted the Sons and Daughters of their Neighbours, and made them Heirs to their Fortunes, on Condition that the Children to be born of them should belong to them. This Sect was of no long Continuance; such poor Creatures, so grosly deluded, must have been very soon undeceived¹⁴.

Besides the Traditions of the Ancients which we have touched upon, the Mahometans, as well as Rabbins and Eastern Christians¹⁵, have others which it may be proper to relate in this Place, for this, if for no other Reason, viz. that we may be thereby enabled to understand their Histories. The Mahometans say, that Eve was delivered at the same time of Cain and Aclima, or Aclimia, his Twin-Sister; and afterwards of Abel and Lebuda. The Eastern Christians call the two Sisters Azrun and Orain, and differ in this Story from the Mahometans in the Names only.

The two Brothers being arrived to a Maturity of Age, Adam was desirous of marrying them, and giving Abel’s Twin-Sister to Cain for his Wife, and Cain’s to Abel. This Choice was not agreeable to Cain, because his Sister Aclima was much more beautiful than Lebuda: He alledged that as they were created together in the same Womb, it was just that they should live together in the same Bed. Adam replied to him, that God had ordained otherwise in this Matter, and that it did not depend on him. To this Cain made Answer, You design to give the most beautiful Woman to my Brother, because he is more your Favourite than I am. Well, says Adam, if you would be better instructed in the Will of God, let each of you offer a Sacrifice to him, and he whose Sacrifice shall be accepted by God, shall have Aclima to Wife.

To this Abel consented, and in case God should not testify by some Marks that he approved his Sacrifice, resolved to marry Lebuda his Twin-Sister. Cain, on the contrary, pretended indeed to acquiesce in Adam’s Proposal, but with a secret Resolution, that let what wou’d happen to his Sacrifice, he wou’d never resign his Sister to his Brother.

Abel, who was a Shepherd, chose the fattest Weather of his Flock, and offered it to God upon the Brow of a Hill. Cain, who was a Husbandman, took a Sheaf out of his Crop with the least Quantity of Ears in it that he could find, and presented it to God upon the Top of a neighbouring Mountain. The Offerings of the two Brothers were no sooner disposed in a proper Manner, but a Flame from Heaven very bright and without Smoke, descended and consumed Abel’s Sacrifice, without touching that of Cain.

Rage, Spite, and Envy took immediate Possession of Cain’s Heart: He determined to make away with his Brother, insulted him with opprobrious Language, and threatned to kill him. Abel replied to him, God accepts the Sacrifices of those only who fear him, and who offer them with a sincere and pure Intention: If you attempt to lay violent Hands on me, I will not defend my self by taking away your Life; but he who is the Lord of all Creatures, whom I fear and worship, he will be my Avenger.

Cain hearkening only to his Passion, was confirmed in the Design of destroying his Brother, but not knowing how to go about it, the Devil appear’d to him in the Shape of a Man holding a Bird in his Hand; the Bird he placed upon a Rock, took up a Stone and with it squeezed its Head to Pieces. Cain instructed by this Example, resolved to serve his Brother in the same way. He waited till Abel was asleep, and lifting up a large Stone, he let it fall with all its Weight upon his Head, and killed him. At the same time God caused him to hear a Voice from Heaven, which cried out to him in these Terms, Thou shalt pass the rest of thy Days in continual Fear.

In reality, from this Moment he found himself terribly perplexed; for he was apprehensive lest the Crime committed by him should be discovered to his Father, and not knowing what to do with his Brother’s Body, he inclosed it in a Skin, which for forty Days he carried about with him, wheresoever he went. But as the Stink of the dead Body grew troublesome to him, he was forced from time to time to set it down, and the Birds of Prey and wild Beasts took the Opportunity of falling upon it, and always carried off some Pieces of it.

One Day he perceived two Ravens fighting in the Air, one whereof falling down dead, the other with his Beak and Claws made a Hole to bury it. Cain thought it was convenient for him to do the same, and in Imitation of the Raven buried his Brother. From that time Terror and Remorse laid fast hold of him, he began to run here and there over the World like a Vagabond, dreading to meet one Day the same Treatment from some or other, which his Brother had received from him, and fearing to appear before his Parents after the Perpetration of so great a Sin. His Repentance wrought no Change in his wicked Heart, nor did he endeavour to make any Expiation of his Crime to God. He was unhappily killed by one of his Grand-children, who having an Imperfection in his Sight mistook him for a wild Beast. See hereafter the Article CAIN. The Hebrew Book intitled Cozri, informs us, that the Ground of the Quarrel between Cain and Abel, proceeded from Cain’s desiring to have Possession of Palestine, exclusive of his Brother Abel.

St. Paul speaks in Commendation of Heb. xi.4.Abel, telling us, that by Faith he offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain; and that he was declared righteous, God himself having testified that he had accepted his Gifts, and that by Reason of his Faith his Blood still speaketh, even after Ch. xii. 24.his Death. The same Apostle compares the Voice of Abel’s Blood, to that of Jesus Christ’s; and our Saviour in the Gospel places him at the Head of those Saints who had been persecuted for Righteousness Mat.xxiii 35. and Luke xi. 51.sake; and distinguishes him by the Name of righteous. St. Ambrose with much Eloquence extols the Merit and Sanctity of Abel, in the two Books composed by him upon this Occasion. He may be properly reckoned the first Martyr to Truth and Justice. His Sacrifice is mentioned in the Sacrifice of the Mass, together with those of Abraham and Melchisedec; and Invocation has been made to him a long time in Litanies, for the Recommendation of the Souls of the deceased. The Worship of him does not appear to be of any great Antiquity in the Church, and his Name is not to be met with in any of the Martyrologies of the Latins before the tenth Century¹⁶. Some Calendars commemorate him on the twenty fifth of March, on the very Day of our Saviour’s Death, as many have fixed it; others on the second of January; others on the thirtieth of July. It is said that he is honoured among the Ethiopians, upon the twenty eighth of December.

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